Chef Gold has shared the recipe for his first course with NIBBLE readers. For your next fabulous dinner party, for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, birthdays or anniversaries ...enjoy!

Serves two people.

Wine Pairing: Kris Prasad, THE NIBBLE’s wine editor, suggests Maury, a wine from the south of France made from grenache, then a Malmsey Madeira from an estate like Blandy’s or a Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen Muscat from Australia.

*Espelette pepper, or piment d’espelette, is a spice ground from a chile grown in the Basque region of France. You can substitute black pepper or hot (not regular) paprika. Read more about espelette pepper in our Chile Glossary.

If you have purchased an entire lobe of foie gras (shown above), cut four 1/3" scallops (sometimes scallops can be found pre-cut). Quickly sear scallops in a hot skillet. Place on a napkin to rest.

Make the French toast†: Cut the sliced brioche into 2x2 squares. In a shallow bowl, mix the egg and half the cream. Dip the bread into mixture for 30 seconds. Remove the bread, place in a buttered skillet and cook until brown on both sides.†
In France, French toast is called pain perdu, or “lost bread,” since it is a way to reclaim stale, “lost,” bread. According to research provided by the International House of Pancakes, French toast isn’t necessarily French in origin; it is likely that the recipe dates back to Medieval times and may have been a logical “invention” by different peoples—akin to battering and frying any food. A similar dish called suppe dorate was popular in England during the Middle Ages, although the English might have learned it from the French Normans, who had a dish called tostées dorées. According to IHOP, the first written mention of the dish comes from the court of Henry V of England (1413-1422).

Create the ganache: Slowly cook the chocolate with the other half of the cream in a double boiler until blended. Add in the espelette.

Presentation

Place a slice of French toast on each plate‡. Top with a slice of foie gras. Repeat for another layer.‡Because this dish comprises foods in beiges and browns, we suggest trying to match it with a plate that provides some color accents.

Spoon the chocolate ganache on one side of the plate.

Shave truffle over the entire dish.

Recipe Variation:

We tried the recipe as Chef Gold envisioned it, and also added our own creative twist: a white chocolate version. We used:

El Rey Icoa, one of the greatest white chocolates made

Tart dried cherries from Chukar Cherries (the Columbia River cherries, which are Montmorency)

The white chocolate brings a touch of sweetness and unctuousness to the dish; the cherries add a tart fruit counterpoint and some vibrant red color to the plate. If you want to use black truffles, Oregon Black Truffles will fit well with this version.

The Full Menu

See if you’re inspired enough to adapt some of Executive Chef Mark Gold’s concepts:

First Courses: Foie gras, served with French toast and a spiced chocolate ganache; harvested scallop, cocoa-dusted, with grapefruit and spinach

Second Courses: Lamb loin with Spanish mole, served with black olives and roasted carrots; striped bass served with potato ravioli and a chocolate and saffron emulsion.